Focus Forward ENGLISH Transcription Test Instructions

Thank you for your interest in joining our team as an English-language Independent Contractor
for Focus Forward Transcription! Please review the below instructions for formatting guidelines
and grading criteria before completing the transcription test.

Audio File and Transcript Labels

1. Label your document with the below name. Feel free to copy and paste:
01 Covid Vaccine Thoughts - Female 18 to 39 - 06.01.2020 - 12pm ET

2. Add the below first page header. [Bold, Single-spaced] Feel free to copy and paste:

Project Name: Covid Vaccine Thoughts

Date: 06/01/2021
Time: 12:00pm ET
Segment: Female 18 to 39

3. Please add the running header starting on page 2 (Arial, size 10, left aligned). Feel free to copy
and paste.

01 Covid Vaccine Thoughts - Female 18 to 39 - 06.01.2020 - 12pm ET

Document Formatting

• Moderators’ statements are bolded.

• Respondents’ comments are not bolded.
• Create a hard line break (double enter) when there is a change speaker
o Never break-up speech for a single speaker. New paragraphs should only occur with a
switch in speakers.
• Font Color: BLACK
• Page View: 100% (please set before submitting if typed at different size)
• Font: Arial, size 12 (for first-page header and body, size 10 for running header).
• Please save transcripts in 2007’s .docx format.
Verbatim Standards

• Transcribe a word for word account of all speakers in the audio; don’t alter the speakers’ words
even if they speak in run-on sentences or fragments. You should add punctuation to make the
document more readable.
• Although everything is captured verbatim, you should always omit verbal ticks and non-verbal
utterances such as: “uh,” “um,” “you know,” “great,” and “all right.” These are known as “filler
language” and are characterized as words or phrases that tend to clutter a transcript without
adding meaning. Please see the below example:

o When NOT to use “OK”:

OK?

OK.

OK, Nick, what else do you like?

There’s a room back there with a huge TV.

OK, so there’s another TV that you like to watch stuff on, OK. And how are you at
moving around and finding what you want to find on the TV, do you ever have any
trouble with that?

o When to use “OK”:

That’s OK. It’s straightforward.

Expanding proven models. Some of you sort of think that the last one’s OK?

No.

Yeah, I like that one too.

It’s OK.

I’m OK with that.

Investing is cold.

Investing is cold? So this one’s sort of OK with some of the room?

As you can see above, you should only type “OK” when a participant uses the word as an adjective,
question or answer. In all other cases, the word “OK” serves as a filler, and you should not type it.
Transcript Notations (i.e. Bracketed Tags)

Please use the below conventions as they apply.

• [LAUGHTER], never (laughter), [LAUGHING], (laughs), (giggles) etc.

• [INAUDIBLE], never (inaudible), [UNINTELLIGIBLE], (INAUDIBLE) etc.
• [INAUDIBLE sounds like: speech typed here], not [INAUDIBLE - sounds like speaker’s words go
here]
o When using “inaudible sounds like” please provide only one suggestion, and make sure
the suggestion makes sense within the context of the sentence.
• [CROSSTALK], never [INAUDIBLE DUE TO OVERLAPPING VOICES], etc.
• Use a [ph] to indicate phoenetic spelling of a proper name. For example: “My name is
Stephen[ph].

• Always run spell-check and re-listen to [INAUDIBLE] notations to try to decipher this speech.
You should aim for zero inaudible tags in the final document.

Guidelines for Punctuation

• If a sentence seems to run on, please do your best to break it down into smaller, more readable
sentences with periods and commas.
• Never use ellipses (…). You should always instead use a dash (—).
• Never type exclamation ( ! ) marks in your transcripts. Periods ( . ) will suffice, even if a
participant sounds excited.

Other Typographical Guidelines

• For transcribing numbers, please spell out numbers [zero to ten] instead of using numerics. For
numbers [11 or greater], please use the numeric.
▪ Example: 59
▪ Example: Two
• When you transcribe a product or brand, please pay close attention to the case.
o For example: iPad.
o Drug Names
▪ Brand name drugs should be capitalized.
▪ Generic drug names should be lowercase
▪ Please use a Google search to verify if it is a generic (lowercase) or branded
(uppercase).
o Please transcribe acronyms and initializes in ALL CAPS
▪ Example: UNICEF
Additional Requirements

Verifying Terms
If you are unsure of the spelling of a certain word—drug names, place names, company names, etc.—
always look up the word online to find the correct spelling. Sometimes this can require you to Google
Search with context clues.
Example: If working on a file about Type II Diabetes and you do not know how to spell a
medication, you can Google “Type II Diabetes phonetic spelling of medication”, and can likely
find the correct spelling.

Miscellaneous Spelling and Grammar reminders

Correct: All right

Incorrect: Alright

Correct: OK
Incorrect: O.K., Ok, ok, okay

Correct: Mm-hmm
Incorrect: Um-hmm, uhm-hmm, etc.

Correct: Uh-uh (to show disagreement, opposite of “Mm-hmm”)

Incorrect: Unh-uh

Submitting Your Test

Please be sure to attach your completed transcription test with your application when submitting on the
website—you should not attach a resume in place of the test.

We highly recommend you review the sample file available to you on the website to verify that the
formatting on your test is accurate before submitting. See below.
Downloading Express Scribe (Optional)
Please follow the below instructions to install ExpressScribe (a software where you can play audio files
and transcribe in one application). Compatible with Foot Pedals [supported models: Infinity USB-1 or
USB-2]
→You are not required to use this software to complete the transcription test, and are not
required to use a foot pedal.

1. Go to the Express Scribe download page at http://www.nch.com.au/

2. Click the Download tab in the top right-hand menu
3. A download box appears—choose Run
4. Agree to the Terms and Conditions and click Install
5. You will then see Express Scribe Transcription in the dropdown menu— click on that and a
download box should appear
6. Save the program to your desktop
7. If all went well, you will have an icon for Express Scribe on your desktop
8. Double click on the icon to open Express Scribe, and you will see a welcome audio. You can
listen to this tutorial to learn about the program
9. If installing a foot pedal, choose Settings in the File tab and select the Control tab
10. Check the box for Foot Pedal Control and from the Port dropdown select VEC Pedals USB (be
sure that your pedal is connected to a USB port on your machine). Then click on the Foot Pedal
Control Setup Wizard and follow the instructions to configure the foot pedal
11. A VEC download window will load and USB drivers will download
12. Once the install is complete, a window will appear saying “pedal installed.” A series of steps will
pop up to align rewind, fast forward, and play

Downloading & Starting the Test File

1. Download the audio file from the Focus Forward website (English)
2. The file will download via a popup box.
3. Once the file is fully downloaded, you will drag the file icon from your desktop onto the Express
Scribe icon.
4. Express Scribe will now open up and load the audio file.
5. You will now be able to control the audio via the large buttons (start, stop, etc.), the F keys (see
the Control tab of Express Scribe) or, if applicable, your foot pedal.
6. Open your Word document and start transcribing.

Alternatively, you can transcribe the file in Word, or any other word processing program. Please
remember to submit your test as a .docx file.

If you have any questions, please email us at transcripthelp@focusfwd.com. Thank you!